Paper-file.



PATENTED JAN. 10, 1965.

J. MAOLAGHLAN.

PAPER FILE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

mmvron JZ/znMaCZ acZZan THE-S858 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES Patented January 10, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

PAPER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,951, dated January 10, 1905.

. Application filed August 31, 1904:. Serial No. 222,799.

To all whom it may concern.-.

Be it known that I, JOHN MAcLAcHLAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Files, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to file boxes and cabinets for use in filing papers of various kinds and classes, such as letters, policies, invoices, daily reports, and the like; and the object thereof is to provide a box-file for the purpose specified which may be used independently or separately or a number of which may be placed in or built in a cabinet or case, the box or box-file being provided with a hinged box-shaped door which opens forwardly and downwardly and is held when open in a horizontal position, the construction and arrangement being such that the papers within the box or box-file when the door is closed lie horizontally in the door, and when the door is open said papers stand on one edge in the door, a further object being to provide a boxfile of the class specified. in which the papers or documents are held in the door part of the box and securely retained in place in any position of the door; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in a device of the class specified constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

This invention is an improvement on that described and claimed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me April 13, 1904, Serial No. 202,908, and the invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in whicl Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single file-case provided with one of my improved box-files; Fig. 2, a central vertical section thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 5; Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4: and showing the door open; Fig. 4, a horizontal section on the linea iof Fig. 3; Fig. 5, ahorizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 a side view of a detail of the construe tion.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown at a a single upright file box or case having a single top compartment (4 below which in the form of construction shown is a bottom portion containing a plurality of drawers (0 which may be used for any desired purpose, but which form no material part of this invention. The front of the compartment (0 is provided with a rectangular vertically-arranged opening a, at the bottom of which is hinged, as shown at a, a box-door b, which is adapted to swing in a vertical plane, and the front wall of the compartment (0 forms aframe for the door, and around the opening a in the form of construction shown are secured cleats or strips (0, and said door when open is held in a horizontal position by means of arms 6 secured to the opposite sides thereof and provided with outwardly' directed members 6", which operate in corresponding notches or recesses 6* in the side cleats or strips a or which may operate in connection with the side walls of the opening a" in which the door is hinged. The bottom end 5 of the door 6 is projected so that it extends a predetermined distance above the door, as shown in Fig. 3, when said door is in a horizontal position, and the top end 5 of said door is similarly projected and segmentally curved, as shown in Fig. 3, and formed in the extreme end thereof and centrally thereof is a rectangular recess a, in which is placed a transverse catch-piece c Secured to the bottom of the lower end 6 of the door 6 in the form of construction shown are side cleats or strips 0 and hinged to the bottom of the opening a", centrally of the bottom of the door, as shown at c, and in the same manner as the door I), is a triangular member or guard (5, comprising a bottom arm (Z and a top arm (Z and secured to the upper end of the arm (Z of the member or guard (Z is a plate cl, (shown in detail in Fig. 6,) to which is pivoted a pawl (Z ,l1av

ing an upwardly-directed finger 616, which is adapted to strike against or engage the top of the door frame or opening (0*, in whlch the door 71 is hinged,when the door 7) is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, and the pawl (Z engages the transverse catch-piece 0 in the top end Zf of the door Z, and the bottom arm (Z of the member or guard (Z occupies the space 0 between the cleats or strips 0 on the bottom of the door Z), and the arm (Z of said member or guard fits snugly against the projected end portion of the bottom 6 and top 6' of the door. Secured to the back of the file box or case a and centrally thereof and substantially in the same horizontal position as the bottom of the door 6 is yoke-shaped spring 6, which when the door 6 is in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, holds the member or guard (Z in the position shown in said figure, and when the door Z) is closed the member or guard (Z moves downwardly against the force of the spring a, which latter occupies the position shown in Fig. 2. In the form of construction shown the yoke-shaped spring 0 is connected with a transverse rod 6 around which the sides of said spring are coiled, as shown ate in Fig. 4, and the ends of said sides of the spring a are secured in a strip e which in turn is secured to the back of the file box or case a; but said spring may be se\ cured in position in any desired manner.

The sides 6 of the box-shaped door Z) are each provided adjacent to the front wall of said door with a longitudinal groove 6 and mounted in said door is a follower f, to the top or outer side of which and centrally thereof is pivoted, as shown at f, a springoperated pawl which operates in connection with a longitudinal row of recesses g which form corresponding teeth in the front wall of the door 6, and the follower f is provided at its ends with projections f which fit in the grooves Z in the sides 6 of the door 6. The follower f is provided in the form of construction. shown with a transverse strengthening-piece f",with which the pawl g is connected and on which the projections f are formed, and it will be understood that in practice the papers to be filed are placed in the box-door Z) between the follower ,7 and the bottom I) of said door, and said papers may be securely held in place by manipulating the follower f so that it will press thereon, and said follower may be conveniently moved in either direction whenever necessary. The door I) is held in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, by its own weight and the weight of the papers filed therein, and said papers may be securely and compactly held by means of the follower f, and when the door is in its closed position, as shown in said figure, the papers filed therein lie flat, or in a horizontal position, as will be readily understood, and when said door is open, or in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, the papers filed therein stand on their edges and may be conveniently examined, and it will placed in the door Z) in the usual manner for indexing all papers filed therein, and the said papers are thus always kept in proper form. It will also be seen that the member or guard (Z or the part (Z thereof closes the inner side of the box-door when the latter is in a closed position or extends between the projected ends of said door, as clearly shown in Fig. 2; but when said door is in an open or horizontal position the said member or guard (Z remains in the box or case, as shown in Fig. 3, and is held in proper position by the spring 6, and the force of said spring is only sufficient to hold the member or guard cZ in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the door is open and is not sufficient to force the opening of the door, and said door is provided at the top thereof with a handle h, by which it may be raised or lowered.

Although I have shown but one file or box door in the file box or case a, it will be apparent that said file box or case may be made inthe form of a cabinet, and in practice the --files or hinged doors may be placed therein side by side, and various changes in and modifications of the details of the construction herevin described may be made without departing \from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages, and I reserve the right to make all such alterations therein as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1'. A file of the class described, comprising an upright box or case open at the front and having a front door-opening, a box-shaped door hinged at the bottom of said opening and adapted when open to be held in a horizontal position, and a spring-supported triangular guard member hinged at the bottom of the door-frame centrally of the door and provided at its free end with a pawl which is adapted to engage the top of the door when the door is closed and the top of the door-frame when the door is open, substantially as shown and described,

2. A file of the class described, comprising an upright box or case open at the front and having a front door-opening, a box-shaped door hinged at the bottom of said opening and adapted when open to be held in a horizontal position, and a spring-supported triangular guard member hinged at the bottom of the door-frame centrally of the door and provided at its free end with a pawl which is adapted to engage the top of the door when the door is closed and the top of the door-frame when the door is open, said door being provided with a follower, substantially as shown and described.

3. A file of'the class described, comprising an upright box or case having a front opening, a box-shaped door hinged at the bottom of also be understood that index-cards may be said opening, means for holding said door in a horizontal position when open, a triangular In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 guard member hinged, at the bottom of the my invention I have signed my name, in presdoor-frame centrally of the door and provided ence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 29th at its free end with a pawl adapted to engage day of August, 1904.

5 the top of the door When the door is closed and the top of the door-frame When the door JOHN MAOLACHLAN' is open, and a spring for supporting the tri- WVitnesses: angular guard member when the door is open, F. A. STEWART,

substantially as shown and described. C. J. KLEIN. 

